Display binders



NOV. 1, 1955 H, WOLFE 2,722,434

DISPLAY BINDERS Filed Nov. 9. 1953 United States Patent DISPLAY BINDERS Edgar H. Wolfe, Winnetka, Ill., assignor to The Barrett Bindery Co., Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Application November 9, 1953, Serial No. 390,825

4 Claims. (Cl. 231-33) The present invention relates to portable display binders and, particularly, to loose leaf binders of the easel type, adapted for use by salesmen and others in presenting to prospective customers, sales literature, pictures, charts and analagous materials in convenient form. More specifically, the present invention is concerned with improvements upon the display binders disclosed in the copending application of Arthur M. Barrett, Serial No. 366,420, filed July 7, 1953, which application is assigned to the assignee of the instant application.

Heretofore, a great variety of display binders have been proposed which have suffered serious disadvantages, the most pronounced of which was that the binding device was disposed at the top of the inclined easel board rendering it necessary for a person in displaying given materials to turn the display materials from a viewing position on the easel board over the top of the board to reveal the next sheet of display material. As pointed out in the copending application I have identified, such turning is very distracting and destroys intended continuity of display, and one object of the invention disclosed in that application is to eliminate the source of distraction by the provision of display binders incorporating a binding device disposed at the base edge of the inclined easel board. In particular, the aforesaid application discloses display binders comprising a front cover hinged to one side of an easel board, a rear cover hinged to the opposite side of the easel board, and a binding device disposed at the hinged connection of the front cover and the easel board. With this construction, the front cover is rested flat on a supporting surface, such as a desk top, and the easel board is braced by the rear cover in an inclined display position so that display materials mounted on the binding device may be moved sheet by sheet from the viewing position on the easel board downwardly and forwardly onto the front cover to a horizontal out-of-the-way posi- 0 tion. The forward and downward movement of display material is ideal and the binder affords, in an economical and practical manner, an improved folder or binder for retention of display materials that is readily set up as a displaying medium.

However, while the display binders disclosed in the said application of Arthur M. Barrett are substantial advances over prior endeavors in the art, I have found the disposition of the display sheets in a horizontal out-of-the-way position after being displayed to be something less than optimum. In particular, I have found it highly advantageous to move the display sheets beyond a horizontal position thereof when moving the same to their out-of-theway position. Such movement of previously displayed sheets assures complete exposure of subsequent sheets and insures that the viewer is in no Way distracted as materials are displayed to him.

It is an object of the present invention to provide improved display binders meeting the objects enumerated hereinbefore of the copending application above identified, and at the same time alfording a support for displayed materials that is disposed at an inclination to the horizontal, the angle of inclination being less than that of the easel board to the horizontal. To accomplish the foregoing object, I provide an improved display binder comprising an easel board, a drop leaf board of a size smaller than the easel board andhingedly connected to the easel board in spaced parallel relation to the base edge thereof, a binding device disposed at or adjacent the hinged connection of the easel board and the drop leaf board, and a third board hinged to one of the other two boards. Two of the boards comprise binder covers and one of the boards and the binding device are disposed between the covers in the closed position of the binder. When the binder is opened, the easel board is disposed at an inclination to the horizontal surface on which the binder is rested to afford a viewing position, preferably a high angle position, such as and the drop leaf board is disposed at a substantially lesser angle to the horizontal, such as 15, whereby display materials may be moved from the high angle viewing position forwardly and downwardly beyond horizontal, through an arc of in the example given, whereby the next succeeding display sheet is fully exposed to view on the easel board and the previously displayed sheet is entirely out of the viewers line of sight.

A particular advantage of the improved display binder above described is that the binding device and the display materials carried thereby and rested on the easel board are elevated from the supporting surfaceto insure complete visibility.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention, particularly those concerned with economy and structural details, will become apparent in the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention.

Now, in order to acquaint those skilled in the art with the manner of making and using the display binder of my invention, I shall describe, in connection with the accompanying drawings, preferred embodiments of my invention and preferred manners of making and using the same. 1

In the drawings, wherein like reference numerals indicate like parts:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the display binder of the invention showing the binder in closed position;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the binder of Figure 1 showing the binder in a high angle viewing position; and

Figure 3 is a side elevation of a second embodiment of the display binder of the invention showing the binder in a high angle viewing position.

Referring now to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, I have shown one embodiment of my invention as comprising three boards and a binding means, namely, a first board It) comprising a combined front cover and easel board, a second board 12 comprising an intermediate drop leaf board, a third board 14 comprising a rear cover, and a binding device 16. The cover boards 10 and 14 are preferably of substantially the same size and thickness and may suitably be formed of a high grade cardboard or the like. The drop leaf board 12 is preferably formed of the same material and of the same thickness as the cover boards, but is preferably of a Size, in the width dimension of the binder, smaller than the easel board 10. The binding means 16 may suitably take a variety of forms, but according to the present embodiment of the invention preferably comprises a conventional ring type mechanical loose leaf binder. As shown, such binding means preferably includes a rigid backbone 18 and a ring binder mechanism 24 of conventional construction mounted on and secured to the backbone 18.

As will be appreciated from Figure 2, the front cover or easel board 10 is hingedly or pivotally connected with respect to the drop leaf board 12 at one longitudinal edge of the board 12, and in spaced parallel relation to and adjacent one longitudinal edge of the easel board. Preferably, the hinged connection between the boards and 12 is accomplished by means of the binding means 16. To this end, the backbone 18 is hingedly connected at one side thereof to the cover or easel board 10, as is indicated at 20, and is hingedly connected at its other side to the drop leaf board 12, as is indicated at 22. At the longitudinal edge thereof opposite the binding means and the easel board, the drop leaf board 12 is hingedly or pivotally connected with respect to the rear cover 14, as is indicated at 26. In view of the hinged connections described, it will be appreciated that the three boards could be disposed flat substantially in side by side relation with the drop leaf board 12 disposed between the cover boards 10 and 14. The hinged connections at 16 and 26 are effected in opposite directions so that when the three boards are disposed in the closed position of Figure 1, the drop leaf board 12 and the binding means 16 are confined between the covers 10 and 14.

As constructed as thus far described, the three boards are adapted to assume the closed position shown in Figure 1, wherein sheets of display material mounted on the binding means are protected by the covers 10 and 14. For the purpose of displaying such materials, the boards are adapted to be set up in the viewing position shown in Figure 2. In particular, the easel board 10 is disposable at a relatively high angle to a horizontal supporting surface wtih the lower edge thereof rested, indirectly, on the surface. Due to the hinged connection of the easel board 10 and drop leaf board 12, the board 12 in the inclined position of the easel board will also be disposed at an inclination to the horizontal supporting surface. That is, the edge of the drop leaf board 12 adjacent the easel board 10 is elevated with respect to the supporting surface and the board inclines downwardly to rest on the supporting surface at the opposite edge thereof. Since the drop leaf board is hinged to the easel board adjacent one longitudinal edge of the easel board, the drop leaf board will define a lesser angle to the horizontal than the easel board. While a wide variety of angular dispositions of the boards 10 and 12 to the supporting surface may be employed to achieve special advantages with relation to the material to be displayed, I have found the most universally applicable angles to be a high viewing position of the easel board, such as 60, to insure optimum visibility and support of materials to be displayed, and a low angle position of the drop leaf board, such as to insure disposition of previously displayed sheets fully out of the line of the viewers sight to the easel board and still not at such angle that the viewer would be distracted by the backs or back surfaces of the previously displayed sheets. The angular disposition of the board 12, to which leaves or sheets of display material are dropped after being displayed, accommodates and affords the two advantages enumerated hereinbefore, namely, movement of the displayed sheets beyond horizontal to a fully out-of-the-way position and elevation of the material to be displayed above the surface on which the binder is rested.

To brace and retain the boards 10 and 12 in the described inclined position thereof in the open position of the binder, the rear cover board 14 extends beneath the drop leaf board 12 and the easel board 10 and is rested fiat on the supporting surface to comprise bracing and supporting means for the boards 10 and 12. Two embodiments of the bracing means are shown in Figures 2 and 3. In the embodiment of Figure 2, the bracing means comprises the rear cover board 14 and a flexible member 28 divided into two parts 30 and 32 by a central fold line 34 therein. The member 28 extends between and is hingedly connected at its opposite edges to the free edge of the cover 14, the edge opposite the hinged connection 26 of the boards 12 and 14, as indicated at 36, and the base edge of the cover 10, as is indicated at 38, to comprise a back or backing member of the binder in the closed position thereof and a stop or movement limiting member in the open position of the binder. To insure proper folding of the member 28 to and from the two positions thereof as shown in Figures 1 and 2, one of the sections thereof, the section 30 adjacent the rear cover 14, is preferably reenforced by a rigid board 40. When moving the binder to its open position from the position of Figure 1, the front cover is raised relative to the rear cover which moves the board 40 into engagement with the rear cover 14, whereafter continued opening necessitates pivotal movement about the fold line 34 to dispose the section 32 of the member 28 and the base edge of the cover or easel board 10 in engagement with the inner surface of the rear cover board 14. In such position, the easel board 10 and drop leaf board 12 mutually assist in bracing one another and are braced and held in position by the cover 14 and member 28. The member 28 insures proper positioning of the base edge of the easel board 10 with respect to the corresponding edge of the rear cover 14 to dispose the easel board at a desired viewing angle. Upon closing the binder by folding the cover 10 downwardly and forwardly, pivotal movement is again effected about the fold line 34 to insure return of the member 28 to the position shown in Figure 1. By the provision of the board 40, the over center snap action of a toggle linkage is attained, whereby the binder positively snaps into tis opened and closed positions.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 1 and 2, the connection of the various boards 10, 12, 14 and 40, the necessary hinged connections 20, 22, 26, 36 and 3S, and the stop or backing member 28 are provided by suitable covering means employed for the boards to impart an attractive appearance to the binder. The covering means may be selected as desired from a variety of-sheet materials such as paper, cloth, imitation leather and the like. The covering means preferably includes an outer covering 42 extending continuously over the boards 10 and 14 and defining the foldable backing member 28. Specifically, the covering member 42 is secured to the inside surface of the cover board 10 and is turned over the free edge thereof to extend continuously over the outer surface of the cover 10. At the base edge of the cover 10, the covering 42 extends freely beyond the edge of the board to define the hinged connection 38 and the section 32 of the member 28, the covering being provided with the fold line 34. The covering 42 then extends continuously over the outer surface of the boards 40 and 14 to define the hinged connection 36 and extends into engagement with the exposed surface of the drop leaf board 12 adjacent the base edge thereof to define the hinged connection 26. The exposed surface of the board 12 is ornamented by a covering 44 which overlaps the edge of the covering 42 and extends over the surfaces of the board 12 and backbone 18 and beyond the backbone 18 to define the hinged connections 22 and 20. The inner surfaces of the boards 10, 12, 14, 18 and 40 are preferably covered by an integral continuous inner covering 46 which is coextensive with the coverings 42 and 44 to assist in defining the hinged connections 20, 22, 26, 36 and 38 and the section 32 of the stop member 28. As will be appreciated, the outer coverings 42 and 44 could well comprise an integral member the same as the inner covering 46. However, the described covering members are preferred to accommodate special grades of coverings for the inner and outer surfaces, respectively, of the binder and also to accommodate the provision of esthetically desirable color schemes. The portions of the coverings 44 and 46 extending freely beyond the backbone 18, as indicated at 48, are utilized to connect the backbone 18 to the front cover and easel board 10, the connection suitably being accomplished by means of rivets 50 or the like. If desired, a relatively thin reenforcing board 52 may be provided i nt'eriorly of the portion 48 of the coverings 44 and 46 to prevent tearing of the covering material at the rivets 50.

The embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 3 is substantially identical to the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2, the difference between the two embodiments residing solely in the bracing means employed and in variations necessitated in the covering means because of the bracing means. Due to the identity of the two embodiments, identical components of the embodiments as shown in Figures 2 and 3 are indicated by the same reference numerals. In the Figure 3 embodiment, the front cover and easel board is not connected directly to the rear cover board 14. In other words, the member 28 of the first embodiment is eliminated. To brace the boards 10 and 12 in the inclined positions thereof, to substitute for the member 28, a stop block 54 is secured, as by rivets 56, to the inner surface of the rear cover 14 to be engaged by the base edge of the easel board 10, whereby the stop block normally retains the easel board in the desired inclined viewing position thereof. Since the boards 10 and 14 are not connected at the back edges thereof, it will be appreciated that separate covering means must be provided for the front cover, while the drop leaf board 12 and rear cover 14 may be continuously covered. With the exception of the two features noted, the two embodiments of the binder are identical, to provide the same viewing and dropped leaf positions, and are operable in substantially the same manner.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that the present invention provides an improved drop leaf display binder affording substantial advantages over prior developments in a very practical and economical manner. In use, both embodiments of the display binder of the present invention are adapted for the display of materials having the horizontal axis thereof disposed in parallel relation to the binding means 16, and the display sheets are preferably printed on one side only, namely, on the side facing the drop leaf board 12. In displaying such materials, all of the sheets are originally rested against the easel board, when the easel board is in the position shown in Figures 2 and 3, and the individual sheets are thereafter moved forwardly and downwardly, one at a time, to afford a step by step, sequential presentation. The movement of the sheets is effected with perfect continuity and the direction of movement is such that the next succeeding sheet becomes immediately visible when the first sheet is moved, from the top to the bottom thereof, which will expose the natural sequence of printed material appearing on the next sheet, whereby the viewer is in no way distracted by movement of the sheets and a smooth flowing consistent presentation of display and written materials is afforded the viewer. Also, due to the elevation of the binding means, the material to be displayed is elevated above the supporting surface on which the binder is rested, so that the viewers attention is in no way distracted by the presence of extraneous materials on the supporting surface. A further advantage is afforded by the present invention in that the sheets that have been displayed to the viewer are dropped forwardly and downwardly to an out-of-the-way position on the drop leaf board, wherein the same are disposed at an inclination to the supporting surface so as fully to expose materials displayed on the easel board, and yet in a position wherein the rear surfaces of the dropped leaves or sheets do not detract the viewers attention from the material on the easel board. As will be appreciated, the present invention provides for a much more advantageous display than could be accomplished by previously proposed binders.

While I have described and shown what I regard to be preferred embodiments of my invention, it will be appreciated that various changes, rearrangements and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

I claim: I H

1. A display binder comprising an easel board disposed at a relatively high acute angle to horizontal, a drop-leaf board disposed at a relatively low angle to horizontal to that side of said easel board defining an obtuse angle to horizontal, said drop-leaf board adjacent its inner upper edge having hinged connection with respect to said easel board below the upper outer edge and in upwardly spaced relation to the lower inner edge of said easel board, a cover board disposed horizontally beneath said easel board and said dropdeaf board, said cover board having hinged connection adjacent its forward edge to said drop-leaf board adjacent the lower edge of said drop-leaf board and extending rearwardly therefrom beneath and beyond the lower edge of said easel board, and stop means cooperable between the lower edge of said easel board and said cover board to prevent movement of the lower edge of said easel board forwardly along said cover board beneath said drop-leaf board beyond a predetermined extent, thus to brace said easel and drop-leaf boards in the said inclined positions thereof, the portion of said cover board rearwardly of the lower edge of said easel board retaining the binder against tipping, said hinged connections and stop means accommodating relative movement of said boards to close the binder, said boards in the closed position of the binder being superposed on one another.

2. A display binder comprising in its open position an easel board resting on its lower inner edge at a relatively high acute angle to horizontal, a drop-leaf board disposed at a relatively low angle to horizontal to that side of said easel board defining an obtuse angle to horizontal, said drop-leaf board adjacent its inner upper edge having hinged connection to said easel board below the upper outer edge and in upwardly spaced parallel relation to the lower inner edge of said easel board and resting on its lower outer edge, a cover board having hinged connection parallel to the first-named hinged connection adjacent its outer edge to said drop-leaf board adjacent the lower outer edge of said drop-leaf board, said cover board extending generally horizontally rearward beneath and beyond the lower edge of said easel board and being spaced at its rearward edge from the lower edge of said easel board to the side of said easel board opposite said drop-leaf board, and stop means on the upper surface of said cover board cooperable between the lower edge of said easel board and said cover board to limit the separation of said edges of said boards and at least normally to prevent movement of the lower inner edge of said easel board beneath said drop-leaf board beyond a predetermined extent, said cover board and stop means bracing said easel and drop-leaf boards in the said inclined positions thereof, the portion of said cover board extending rearwardly beyond the lower edge of said easel board preventing tipping of the binder, said hinged connections and said stop means accommodating relative movement of said boards to close the binder, said boards in the closed position of the binder being superposed on one another.

3. A display binder comprising an easel board disposed at a relatively high acute angle to horizontal, a drop-leaf board disposed at a relatively low angle to horizontal to that side of said easel board defining an obtuse angle to horizontal, said drop-leaf board adjacent the upper edge thereof having a hinged connection with respect to said easel board below the upper edge and above and in spaced parallel relation to the lower edge of said easel board, a cover board disposed horizontally beneath said easel board and said drop-leaf board, said cover board adjacent the forward edge thereof having hinged connection to said drop-leaf board adjacent the lower edge of said drop-leaf board and extending rearwardly therefrom beneath and beyond the lower edge of said easel board, and backbone means extending along the upper surface of the portion of said cover board rearwardly of the lower edge of said easel board and having hinged connection at its opposite edges to the rearward edge of said cover board and the lower edge of said easel board to prevent movement of the lower edge of said easel board forwardly beneath said dropleaf board beyond a predetermined extent, said backbone means and said drop-leaf board thus supporting said easel board at spaced points firmly to retain said easel board in its inclined position, said easel board and said cover board thus firmly retaining said drop-leaf board in its inclined position, said portion of said cover board rearwardly of the lower edge of said easel board retaining the binder against tipping, said hinged connections and said backbone means accommodating relative movement of said boards to a closed position wherein said drop-leaf board is superposed on said cover board and said easel board is superposed on said drop-leaf board.

4. A display binder comprising an easel board disposed at a relatively high acute angle to horizontal, a backbone connected adjacent one edge thereof to the upwardly and forwardly exposed surface of said easel board below the upper edge and above and in spaced parallel relation to the lower edge of said easel board, a drop-leaf board disposed at a relatively low angle to horizontal to that side of said easel board defining an obtuse angle to horizontal, said drop-leaf board at the upper edge thereof having a hinged connection to the opposite edge of said backbone, said drop-leaf board being of no greater size than that portion of said easel board between the connection of said backbone to said easel board and the upper edge of said easel board, a cover board of substantially the same size as said easel board disposed horizontally beneath said easel board and said drop-leaf board, said cover board adjacent the forward edge thereof having hinged connection to said drop-leaf board adjacent the lower edge of said drop-leaf board and extending rearwardly therefrom beneath and a short distance beyond the lower edge of said easel board, backbone means extending along the upper surface of the portion of said cover board rearwardly of the lower edge of said easel board and having hinged connection at its opposite edges to the rearward edge of said cover board and the lower edge of said easel board to prevent movement of the lower edge of said easel board forwardly beneath said drop-leaf board beyond a predetermined extent, said backbone means and said drop-leaf board thus supporting said easel board at spaced points firmly to retain said easel board in its inclined position, said easel board and said cover board thus firmly retaining said drop-leaf board in its inclined position, said portion of said cover board rearwardly of the lower edge of said easel board retaining the binder against tipping, and binding means carried on the upwardly exposed surface of at least one of said easel and drop-leaf boards and said backbone, said hinged connections and said backbone means accommodating relative movement of said boards to close the binder, said boards in the closed position of the binder being superposed with said drop-leaf board superposed on said cover board, said easel board superposed on said drop-leaf board, and said backbone, said binding means and display matter carried by said binding means disposed between said easel and drop-leaf boards.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 694,690 Stark Mar. 4, 1902 2,416,754 Horr Mar. 4, 1947 2,617,665 Ericson Nov. 11, 1952 

